Explaining Street Harassment Victims’ (Un)Willingness to Report to the Police in India

The focus of this paper is street sexual harassment victimization and factors that determine victims’ willingness to report. We specifically examine their choice to report to the police from the legal and enforcement perspectives that include awareness of laws that punish street sexual harassment offenders, perceived effectiveness of street harassment laws and their enforcement, and, finally, global perceptions of the effectiveness of the police. Findings from a survey of 383 victims from New Delhi, India suggest that overall, victims who are aware of the newly enacted sexual harassment legislation were more willing to report. Interestingly, however, there is a negative relationship between the perceived effectiveness of enforcement of sexual harassment laws and their willingness to report their victimization to the police. Further, neither the perceived effectiveness of the sexual harassment laws nor the global perceptions of police effectiveness were significantly related to the victim’s willingness to report to the police. Policy implications for police departments to create user-friendly apps, awareness programs, and opportunities to report sexual assault victimization are discussed.